The biggest name in basketball today, meet the biggest name in soccer over the past 15 years.

LeBron James, who long ago achieved “first-name-only” status in American sports, is apparently in league now with David Beckham in those ongoing efforts to bring MLS back to the Miami area.

Beckham’s interest is hardly a secret; in fact, it’s an anti-secret, with “news” being carefully and strategically leaked for months. (We wrote about that here.)

Michael Wallace, who writes about the Miami Heat and the NBA for ESPN.com, put this out on Twitter:

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What does “exploring interest” mean? I’m sure we’ll hear more as this moves further down the line. Most likely scenario is that James is a minority partner, the way Oscar De La Hoya is a minority partner for the Houston Dynamo, or the way Steve Nash is a smaller minority partner with the Vancouver Whitecaps.

Closer to the “here and now,” this is what it means: Miami is already competing with Orland, so to speak, jostling for “news space,” even as Orlando prepares for an announcement that it will soon become MLS franchise No. 21. (That, by the way, could happen officially as early as this week.)

Having a major name like LeBron James certainly doesn’t hurt in getting headlines and such. Especially in a city that definitely appreciates bright, shiny things.

Meh. Having Oscar De La Hoya, Steve Nash, Joe Roth, and now David Beckham is already interesting in MLS management. Owning an MLS franchise has become a tasty move for many people. Just look at the Columbus owner.

This is how MLS will/have to be successful in Miami. It can’t just be about soccer and the on field product. They have to make it an event for people to be seen at. Becks and LeBron can bring that kind of sizzle bit I think they would need a stadium in Miami to really achieve this.